Geneva, Switzerland will host the 2026 FIDE World Championship between Indian World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and his Uzbek challenger GM Javokhir Sindarov, with the 14-game match running November 25 to December 15. FIDE Interim President GM Viswanathan Anand said strong bids were received from India, the United States, and Cyprus, but that the decision was taken to hold the event “on neutral soil.”
The International Chess Federation is itself based in Switzerland, and in today’s announcement Anand describes Geneva, on the shores of Lac Leman, as “a city with a historic tradition of bringing nations and cultures together.”
This will be the first world championship match in Switzerland since GM Vladimir Kramnik beat GM Peter Leko in Brissago in 2004, in a match that was also the last time the champion automatically held the crown in case the match was tied after the classical games.     Â
World Chess Championship Matches Since 2004
| Year | Champion | Challenger | Score (Tiebreaks) | City | Country |
| 2004 | Kramnik | Leko | 7–7 | Brissago | Switzerland |
| 2006 | Kramnik | Topalov | 6–6 (2.5–1.5) | Elista | Russia |
| 2008 | Anand | Kramnik | 6.5–4.5 | Bonn | Germany |
| 2010 | Anand | Topalov | 6.5–5.5 | Sofia | Bulgaria |
| 2012 | Anand | Gelfand | 6–6 (2.5–1.5) | Moscow | Russia |
| 2013 | Anand | Carlsen | 3.5–6.5 | Chennai | India |
| 2014 | Carlsen | Anand | 6.5–4.5 | Sochi | Russia |
| 2016 | Carlsen | Karjakin | 6–6 (3–1) | New York | USA |
| 2018 | Carlsen | Caruana | 6–6 (3–0) | London | UK |
| 2021 | Carlsen | Nepomniachtchi | 7.5–3.5 | Dubai | UAE |
| 2023 | Nepomniachtchi | Ding | 7–7 (1.5–2.5) | Astana | Kazakhstan |
| 2024 | Ding | Gukesh | 6.5–7.5 | Singapore | Singapore |
| 2026 | Gukesh | Sindarov | TBD | Geneva | Switzerland |
Andre Voegtlin, the President of the Swiss Chess Federation, called it “a truly special day for Swiss chess,” and referred to the earlier match as he vowed to boost the popularity of chess in the country:
Twenty-two years after Brissago, an event of global chess significance is returning to Switzerland. For us, this is far more than wonderful news – it’s a defining moment for chess in our country, one that fills us with both joy and motivation.
No details have yet been announced of the prize fund, regulations, sponsorship, or exact venue.
The choice of a neutral location has been the default in recent years in chess, with only Anand in Chennai in 2013 and GM Veselin Topalov in Sofia in 2010 playing on home soil in the last 22 years. Both lost, with playing at home often considered to bring extra pressure without any of the benefits of cheering crowds in other sports.
Sindarov, who qualified for the world championship match by scoring a crushing victory in the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament, commented at the time: “For me, if it will be in December, probably I’ll choose some hot country, like Cyprus, because I don’t want to play a world championship match in cold weather.”
I don’t want to play a world championship match in cold weather.
—Javokhir Sindarov
Sindarov may need to wrap up warm in Geneva in November and December, but it’s curious that Cyprus did in fact bid for the event, while Uzbekistan, as far as we know, didn’t. They may have respected the wishes of their player, or feel that organizing a world championship in the same year as they host the 2026 FIDE Chess Olympiad is a step too far.
Gukesh plays the match as the reigning world champion after defeating GM Ding Liren 7.5-6.5 in another neutral venue, Singapore, in 2024. The Indian star has had a rough time since, and currently finds himself live-rated 74 points below Sindarov for what’s set to be the youngest world championship match in history. Both players will be 20, with Sindarov turning 21 during the match.
Can Sindarov claim the crown, or will Gukesh hit back to prolong his reign? We’ll find out in around four months’ time!Â